Does it really need to be said?
by LexieBird
Summary: A conversation between Martha Jones and Rose Tyler, on the TARDIS after the world has been saved, with some Ten/Rose gooey conversation at the end. Well, maybe not 'gooey'. Ten/Rose, Martha friendly. Now with a JE alternate ending in the second chapter.
1. Chapter 1

Rose gazed happily around the group of people that were filling up the TARDIS's usually nearly empty console rom. Sarah-Jane, Jack, Mickey, Martha, Donna, and the Doctor's clone, as well as the Doctor himself, were standing around in little groups, having smaller celebrations. This was not the first time that they'd saved the Earth, far from it, but this time it felt more special. Rose had barely left the Doctor's side, and even now they stood, slightly off to the side, hands holding hands almost too tight. Rose's hand was beginning to cramp from squeezing so hard, but she didn't care. It would take a lot to make her let go of the Doctor now.  
"Hey," Martha said softly, as she walked up to them. The Doctor, for once in his life, seemed to be in-tune with the human's social needs, so decided that now would be a good time to go and make sure that Mickey, who seemed to be fiddling with the console absent minded-ly while he talked to Sarah-Jane, wasn't fiddling with something that would blow them all up. He explained this to the two girls as he walked off, holding Rose's hand for as long as practically possible. Rose watched as he went over to Mickey, and Martha watched Rose.  
"I'm glad he found you again," she said, still soft. Rose turned to her, a slightly sad smile on her face. "He was... I dunno. Not right without you." She smiled at Rose, then looked down guiltily. "I used to hate you," she whispered quietly, not meeting Rose's eyes. "I don't any more!" She added hurriedly, looking back up to Rose's face, "but, before... I fell for him, you see. I'm over it now - took a year back on Earth for me to realise that I didn't love him. Not really. Besides," she added, smiling now, "he had you." Rose frowned.  
"I wasn't there," she said, "he didn't-"  
"Yes, he did. Always." She paused, thinking. "Never looked twice at me." She looked away, to the TARDIS wall. "I knew about you from the very beginning. The TARDIS seemed so empty, so I asked if he was by himself. Told me that you used to travel with him," she chuckled, "and that I was absolutely not replacing you, and that I was getting one trip. Just one. But, he didn't want to be alone again, and I ended up staying. That very first trip - Shakespeare and aliens, would you believe?" Rose smiled.  
"Yeah, I would." She said, and Martha turned back and smiled.  
"That night, he was trying to figure out what the aliens were up to. And he was staring at me, really deeply, but I could tell it wasn't me he was looking at. And he said, right to my face, 'Rose would know. My friend Rose, she'd know exactly what to say right now'. Never really got it, did he?" Rose looked at her, shocked.  
"I'm sorry," she began, feeling terrible, "I feel so-"  
"Don't apologise," Martha interrupted, "it's not your fault he's got terrible social skills," she said.  
"They are terrible, aren't they?" Rose murmured, almost to herself.  
"Almost like he's an alien!" Martha joked, and they both giggled, Rose's eyes wandering back across the room to find the Doctor. "You should talk to Donna, too. I think she was the only one who really got what he was like without you. Even before she was all half-Timelord, she really _got _him. Like an older sister." Martha said. "He didn't even consider falling in love again, because he already had you." Rose's head whipped around to stare at Martha.  
"Love?" She asked, honestly bewildered.  
"What, you think you're just a friend to him? Everyone can see it. The way he looks at you - well, I used to wish he'd look at me like that." She admitted, and smiled sadly at her. "See ya 'round, Rose Tyler." Martha said, as she got up and walked over next to Mickey. As soon as she'd begun to leave, the Doctor sneaked up behind Rose, and was by her side in an instant.

"Thanks for that," she told him, squeezing his hand happily.  
"Well, I thought she might have something to say." The Doctor said, grinning.  
"You're getting better at this," Rose observed with a nod, "finally starting to show some social skills."  
"Oi, my social skills are fine, thank you very much!" He said, turning his whole body to face her properly. There was a lovely moment where the pair just grinned happily at each other, before Rose turned away slightly.  
"She said you love me," Rose said quietly, not daring to meet his eyes. _Here it comes, _she thought, sure that he would reject her, push her away.  
"Rose?" He said, even softer than she had. Rose slowly looked up to meet his eyes. They were so deep, so dark, so _sad_. Rose saw him swallow thickly, before he leaned in even closer, not breaking eye contact. "I do." He said, barely a whisper, and his voice broke slightly as he said it.  
"Do what?" She asked dumbly, her head reeling. _He loves me? He loves me, he LOVES me!_  
"You know," he said, still unwilling to say those three words.  
"Yeah," Rose said, beginning to smile, "I suppose I do."

* * *

_And the best part? I'm sure it can slip nicely into cannon somewhere. I'm considering making this an alternate-ending Journey's End story, but I'm not sure I have the... guts to see it through, and mine'll just end up being exactly the same as all the other Ten/Rose alternate JE stories out there._

_But, if you do want me to figure out a way of getting rid of the meta-crisis and having Rose stay, review and say so!_

_(Okay, I may have just had an idea about a way to save Donna, despose of the meta-crisis and have Rose stay in a friendly way. Be on the lookout for another chapter, maybe.)_


	2. Chapter 2

Rose watched as the Doctor said goodbye to everyone, one by one, and didn't fail to notice the way his grin deflated slightly with each goodbye. The TARDIS landed with a shudder.

_"Just time for one last trip. Darlig Ulv Stranden. Better known as... Bad Wolf Bay."_

Rose had barely processed the sentence. _Taking mum home, _she told herself, but she knew there was something she was missing. They let Jackie out, and she walked off, leaving Rose and the Doctors to their own conversation.

"Hold on, this is... the parallel universe, right?" Rose said, staring at the beach. Oh, how she hated this beach. The day she died - it was here. And she was reborn again, when she found the Doctor. Good thing she'd never see it again, wouldn't have to go back to the zeppelins.

"You're back home." The Doctor said sadly.

Donna babbled on, about something very Doctor-like, but Rose paid no attention.

"No, but I spent all that time, trying to find you! I'm not going back now!" She said, her voice an odd combination of a shout and a whisper. _Not after you said that you loved me, in all the ways that matter._

"But you've got to," the Doctor said, ignoring his hearts screaming _No!_, ignoring the lump that had formed in his throat. "'Cause we saved the universe, but at a cost. And that cost was him." He looked at the meta-crisis Doctor, who knew what was happening, who didn't want to accept it, but was going to. "He destroyed the Daleks. He committed genocide. He's too dangerous to be left on his own."

"You made me!" The New Doctor said, in false anger. They had to convince Rose that he was more dangerous than his Timelord counterpart.

"Exactly. You were born in battle, full of blood and anger and revenge." The Doctor looked to Rose, stuffing his sadness deep down inside him. "Remind you of someone? That's me, when we first met. And you made me better. Now you can do the same for him."

"But he's not you." Rose whispered, knowing where this was going. Knowing that she couldn't change things. Not now.

"He needs you. That's very me." The Doctor said, barely stopping his voice from breaking.

"But it's better than that, though. Don't you see what he's trying to give you? Tell her, go on." Donna said, and this time Rose paid attention. She turned to the Human Doctor.

"I look like him, I think like him, same memories, same thoughts, same everything. Except, I've only got one heart." He admitted. He saw the confusion in Rose's face, and then, a tiny flicker of hope. He shouldn't want this ending, but he did. So much.

"Which means?" Rose asked, almost knowing the answer.

"I'm part human. Specifically, the aging part. I'll grow old and never regenerate. I've only got one life, Rose Tyler. I could spend it with you. If you want." The Human Doctor cursed himself. Giving her false hope. Giving himself false hope.

"You'll grow - grow old... at the same time as me?" Rose asked, bewildered.

"Together." Rose leaned forwards and put her hand to his chest, and it felt _wrong _that there was the boom-boom, boom-boom of his heart. Where was the other one? The TARDIS made a wheezing noise, and the four turned.

"We've got to go, this reality is sealing itself off... for ever." The Doctor said, turning from Rose, not wanting to see her face.

"But... it's still not right... 'cause the Doctor is still you." She said, stopping the Doctor.

"And I'm him!" He said, willing her to understand. Have a happy life.

"All right. Both of you, answer me this." Rose began. "When I-"

"No." The Human Doctor said suddenly, and grabbed Rose's hands. "Rose Tyler, we both love you. And it might be the closest thing to a happy ending if I went and lived with you now, and we grew old together. I'm him and I would like nothing more than to do that." He said firmly, and the real Doctor blinked. This wasn't the plan. "But, there's a but. I'm not going to do that, because it's not fair on the most important man here." He said, gesturing toward the Doctor. "Like I said, I'm him, and I know how much it will hurt if this happens. Happy Rose, happy me, not-unhappy Donna, fully miserable Doctor. Hardly fair." He said.

"I'll have Donna to keep me company." Lied the Doctor, realising what his human clone was trying to say. Stop Rose from choosing him. The meta-crisis turned to him.

"You'll have both of them, if I get my way." The Human Doctor said seriously, and the Doctor frowned. "I'm sorry, Donna, but Human/Timelord meta-crisises don't work. Think about it." Donna paused, thinking, then gasped.

"Oh, God." She whispered, realising what would happen - and what the Doctor would have to do. Rose stood quietly, unsure of what to say. The Human Doctor walked over to Donna, and whispered something in her ear. It took a while, and Rose moved over to the real Doctor, taking his hand silently.

"Do you think it'll work?" The meta-crisis asked Donna, pulling back. Donna stared at him.

"Without a doubt." She said, but didn't smile. "But, I don't think anyone here'll let you-"

"I'm a clone." He interrupted. "A human clone. Neither universe needs me; no-one needs me. Except you, and no-one's going to stop me from doing this."

"What if I don't want you to do this?" Donna said softly. The Doctor frowned.

"You going to keep us in the dark, or will you say what's going on here?" He asked, and Rose noticed the heavy sadness in his voice had lifted slightly. _Hope, _she realised. He wanted her to stay with him.

"He wants to absorb all the Timelord knowledge out of my head." Donna explained. "It'd work, I'd only forget while I was like this," she gestured to her head, "but it'd kill him."

The Human Doctor smiled. "Happy ending." He said. The Doctor let go of Rose's hand, and walked up to face his clone. They stood, eye-to-eye, staring at each other, neither flinching nor looking away.

"I want to do this." The Human Doctor said quietly, and he knew that Donna and Rose wouldn't be able to hear them. "You know you'd give your life for her. Both of them. Either of them. In a single _heart_beat." He said, fully pronouncing the non-plural word. The Doctor held his gaze for another few moments, looking almost angry, then looked down, cursing his selfishness. The meta-crisis needed no more invitation than that, and went straight over to Donna.

"No, I don't want you to do this!" She lied.

"Yes, you do." The human said, and placed his fingers to her temples, and the pair closed their eyes. Rose moved over to the real Doctor, who was still looking down, and squeezed his hand reassuringly. He looked up, and while he wasn't smiling, Rose could see the happiness - no, the _hope_ in his eyes. The Human Doctor collapsed to the ground in a heap, and Donna drew in a shuddering breath, sinking to her knees.

"What the bloody hell happened! Where am I? The Daleks-" She noticed the body on the ground. "Oh, God! Doctor?"

"It's okay Donna, I'm here." The Doctor said sadly, kneeling down beside her. Rose took the other side. "It's over, the Daleks are dead."

"It's over," she repeated, "But... he's the- the hand, yeah?" She asked, still looking shocked. The Doctor nodded. "But he'll be okay?" This time, the Doctor shook his head.

"He saved your life, Donna." Rose said quietly.

Donna bit back a sob, then turned to face the Doctor. "Thank you." She said, looking him in the eye. The TARDIS made more noise, and the Doctor jumped to his feet.

"We have to go." He said.

"What about-" Rose began, but broke off, not sure what to say.

"We'll take him to the TARDIS," the Doctor said, then turned to Rose. "Where are you going to-"

"With you." She whispered, taking his hand. The Doctor looked at her, his face a combination of love and fear and worry and anger and a strange, eternal acceptance. Then, hardly being able to stop himself, leaned down and kissed her. Rose, after a moment of shock, kissed him back passionately. After a few seconds, Donna decided they'd snogged enough, and cleared her throat. When the pair didn't react, she cleared it again, louder. They still didn't seem to hear her.

"Oi, stop with the snogging already!" She cried, and the two of them jumped apart almost guiltily, smiling at each other blissfully. Their faces became sombre after seeing Donna's expression. "We have work to do." She reminded them, looking down at the meta-crisis's body. The three of them picked up the body, and carried it back to the TARDIS, all joy gone from their faces. They were finally back in the TARDIS when the Doctor turned to Rose.

"Your mum," he reminded her. Rose opened the TARDIS doors and came face-to-face with her mum.

"Mum," she began, but Jackie smiled sadly.

"You go, sweetie. You'll be happy with him. Just, I love you. Stay safe for me." Rose smiled sadly, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I will, mum. I promise, okay?"

"Or, at least, as safe as it gets around him." She amended, and Rose actually laughed.

"Love you, mum." She whispered, giving her a final hug. "Tell dad and Tony I love them too." Rose stepped back and let the TARDIS doors swing closed. The familiar, comforting wheezing sound of the TARDIS began, and she realised she was leaving. Forever. Still staring at the doors, she let out a sob. Rose felt a comforting hand on her shoulder, and turned around to see the Doctor. She threw herself at him without a second thought, and began crying into the side of his neck.

"I still might be able to turn around, if I'm quick." He whispered. "If you've changed your mind, I can-" He was cut off by Rose giving him a good smack on the arm.

"Shut up. I chose _you_. I'm not going back." She said, managing a smile. The Doctor leaned down, hesitantly, giving Rose every chance to pull away, before pressing his lips to hers. Rose responded immediately, pulling him closer, and kissing him for all she was worth.

"Oi! Stop with the snogging, you two!" Yelled Donna, and the Doctor quickly pulled back, looking over at Donna, who was smiling. "If you two can't keep your hand off each other, at least go somewhere where I can't see you!" She said.

The Doctor didn't say anything, just turned back to Rose with a hesitant half-smile. This time, Rose leaned in and kissed him, and Donna walked off in a huff, but was really quite pleased. Finally, the Doctor would be the closest he could be to happy.

* * *

_I'm not... entirely pleased with this. Feels wrong, somehow. But I dunno why, so I'm leaving it as is. _

_So, happy ending? The Doctor and Rose, and Donna, with a dead meta-crisis. Feels flimsy, I suppose. Although, it's almost plausible. Kinda like what Nine did with Rose/Bad Wolf, minus the kissing (that'd be weird)._


End file.
